New rider advice

[Bigyin]

... without looking down and look ahead as you would while riding

It's amazing the number of people who have to look down at their hands and feet. Trust them to stay where they are, get used to feeling the controls while keeping your head and eyes up.

I know, we have a little bit of a laugh with the CBT first timers and tell them they WILL look at their hands and feet and they all say they wont as they agree there is no need ....... 5 minutes later they hear a shouted "why are you looking down, look where you want to go" again and again

[tricol]

Okay, I'm certainly not at the stage were I'm looking down at my feet. I'm not riding along struggling with every change, but aware I need to change something. I don't think I need to go back to the training school. I'll take some of the points above and work on them.

[Bigyin]

Okay, I'm certainly not at the stage were I'm looking down at my feet. I'm not riding along struggling with every change, but aware I need to change something. I don't think I need to go back to the training school. I'll take some of the points above and work on them.

I wasnt implying you were looking down while riding but the change in bike has changed where your foot and lever are which might be why you are having some issues. By starting from scratch on foot position it might solve those

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Buy a geared restricted moped, 5 gear changes to 30mph will quickly reach you to perfect gear changes

[tricol]

Buy a geared restricted moped, 5 gear changes to 30mph will quickly reach you to perfect gear changes

Perfect. I'll get her traded in pronto

[KungFooBob]

You'll need to perfect that 2nd to 3rd change, if you want to pull mile long mingers.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I was going to try and give advice about changing gear, then remembered I learned 38 years ago on a TS50 and it's become so natural I don't think about it.

But adjusting the gear lever to the right place helps a lot, yours might be a bit high for you.

[The Spin Doctor]

...bought the Survival Sklills book and had other training sessions as well. Thank you Kevin, wherever you are!!?

I'm right here

[The Spin Doctor]

Morning all,

So, I am just 100 miles into motorbike ownership/riding. It's been a real thrill so far, not being hooked up to an earpiece being reminded of those lifesavers every 2 seconds. Lots of what I learnt has stuck thankfully, and I feel (quietly) confident on the new Trident. Last night I got out for another quick spin as the roads were dry and the sun was out, although not very warm yet. I found that I was fluffing quite a few of my gear changes. Now, I'm sure it will come good with more and more miles, but on a few occasions I was missing changes altogether, rather than just not being smooth. I learnt on an SV650 mostly (about an hour on a Z650, too) and I didn't seem to have as many issues with that changing on that. It feels like the gear shifter is much closer to the footpeg on the Trident that on the SV. Or maybe not and I need to work on my foot position.

- Does anyone have good tips for smoother gear changes?
- Anything else to start working on now I'm in the puppy stage of learning?

I'm sure the fountain of knowledge on here will help!

Re the gear shifts... if it's a brand-new bike the gearbox will be a bit stiff anyway. So it'll bed in and get easier with time.

Some other thoughts...

Are you wearing the same boots you were during your training course? Lots of riders get the pass under their belts THEN buy their riding kit, so if you've changed it's possible the boot is an issue.

The other thing I noticed looking at the Trident is that it has a reversed gear lever - that is, it points back towards the foot from the pivot point. I can't recall what it was but I rode a bike like this years ago and found gear shifting difficult because the lever doesn't rock naturally with the foot. What I found helped was a liberal coating of dubbin on the top of the boot, to help the rubber on the shift lever slide over the boot. Give that a try and see what happens.

Gear lever reversed.jpg (168.22 KiB) Viewed 861 times

Make sure you are getting the lever ALL the way back to the bar when you pull it in. Some bikes you can change gear easily just by pulling the clutch lever part way in. But not with all bikes. I haven't ridden the Trident, but whilst a little dip of the clutch is enough for my Honda to shift, it won't work with my Yamaha - the lever has to come all the way back.

And don't RUSH the gear shift - there's no need. Many new riders try to get the clutch in and out as quickly as possible (especially if they have ridden a 125 before taking the test). Pull the lever in smoothly, THEN shift (and remember to take your foot away from the lever) and then release the clutch smoothly again.

[The Spin Doctor]

It's a non adjustable clutch for reach.

Although there's no span adjuster on the lever, you CAN adjust it by using the cable adjuster.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

The reversed gear lever is interesting, my Kawasaki was like this and the gear change was heavy, rearsets have made it the normal way round and it's better.

[The Spin Doctor]

The reversed gear lever is interesting, my Kawasaki was like this and the gear change was heavy, rearsets have made it the normal way round and it's better.

Now you have reminded me, I think it was the ER-5. That had a reversed linkage. We had some at the bike school.

[tricol]

I have been wearing the same boots from my training. Didn't notice that the linkage is different, not sure what it was on the SV. I'd need to look at photos.

[Nidge]

I think Spin has probably hit the nail on the head (as usual). When I picked up my brand new Speed Twin in June the gearbox was very stiff and notchy for the first couple of hundred miles- it may be a Triumph thing. More time in the saddle will likely be the answer

[Horse]

More time in the saddle will likely be the answer

Make gearchanges like a jazz improv drummer.

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[The Spin Doctor]

I have been wearing the same boots from my training. Didn't notice that the linkage is different, not sure what it was on the SV. I'd need to look at photos.

OK, so rule out boots and point finger at gear shift.

There's no linkage on the Triumph, that's my point... it's bolted directly to the gear change shaft by the look of the photos, so points 'backwards' and that means it pivots the other way round too rather than moving the same as your foot is moving around your ankle. What that means is that as you change up a gear, the rubber actually has to slide across your boot.

The SV has a rearset linkage:

https://www.globalsuzuki.com/motorcycle ... 3806982464

Try a bit of dubbin on the boot, and with a bit of luck that and more miles is that answer.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I think there's a rod from the lever to somewhere high on the engine, which also tends to say that the selector drum is quite high in the engine, which might also have a ne effect on gear changes.

[Supermofo]

On my 690 Duke I had a fair few false naturals and the odd missed shift when I first got it. Cures were
1. Adjust the lever. As standard the 690 comes with an almost off road bike very high lever, once lowered it was miles better.
2. Being positive with shifts. Even now it doesn't like lazy shifts at times, the gear box prefers to have the engine under load and a positive foot.
3. Miles. Over the course of the first 600 miles the gearbox got a lot better.

[Rockburner]

Re the clutch lever - when you're on the bike, are your lower arms-wrists-back-fo-hands all 'inline' ? if you have to cock your wrist 'up' to get fingers on the levers then you're losing mechanical advantage. Should be simple enough to loosen the lever mount and rotate them slightly around the bar so that the back your hand, when your fingers are resting on the levers, is inline with your wrist and lower arm.

[The Spin Doctor]

Re the clutch lever - when you're on the bike, are your lower arms-wrists-back-fo-hands all 'inline' ? if you have to cock your wrist 'up' to get fingers on the levers then you're losing mechanical advantage. Should be simple enough to loosen the lever mount and rotate them slightly around the bar so that the back your hand, when your fingers are resting on the levers, is inline with your wrist and lower arm.

Definitely worth trying although there may be a pin in the mount which precludes this. I discovered that problem when meeting a trainee who was collecting his brand-new Ducati SS ready for a Confidence: BUILDER one-day course. They were set for a 'flat on the tank' riding position and awkwardly cocked up. The dealer's mechanic tried to move them for him after I'd pointed it, and couldn't, thanks to the pin.